LinkedIn, damn it.

August 14, 2020 7:12 PM

I’m looking for clear and simple instructions on how to set up a very limited, very private - LinkedIn profile.

I am very reluctantly joining. I have no social media presence, not sure if this site is social media...if it is, then this is the only site.

I will not be posting a resume or making connections other than to a few industry groups. I will set up a unique email contact for the site since my understanding is that all my contacts would be automatically vacuumed into the system before being able to shut that function down. I’m hoping that by creating a new email address, I will block any access the site has to my main email account contacts.

A step-by-step ‘how to do’ and checklist of settings to turn off, would be great.

Thanks very much for your assistance.

posted by BeBetter to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

my understanding is that all my contacts would be automatically vacuumed into the system before being able to shut that function down.

FYI, that's not correct. You have to opt-in to that occuring.
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 7:24 PM on August 14, 2020 [4 favorites]

To set your account to private, click the "Edit public profile & URL" option on the right-hand side of your screen. Under the "Edit Visibility" option on the left side of the screen, toggle the lever next to "Your profile's public visibility" to off, to hide it from non-LinkedIn users and search engines.
posted by ananci at 8:09 PM on August 14, 2020

Response by poster: Thanks to both replies. Ananci - can I do this as I set up an account, or only after?
posted by BeBetter at 8:25 PM on August 14, 2020

If you are planning to avoid the contact hoovering, stay off the mobile app. I think it'll get contacts from the address book of the device. (or resign yourself to clicking on the X every time it prompts for access)
posted by Anonymous Function at 9:22 PM on August 14, 2020 [1 favorite]

You have to opt-in to give access to the contacts, but the design is deceptive and it is easy to accidentally give access. A new email address would be beat.
posted by likethenight at 10:19 PM on August 14, 2020 [1 favorite]